Powder and granular material metering device

ABSTRACT

A powder body metering apparatus for metering a powder body such as a synthetic resin raw material is structured such that a powder body outlet of a metering container of another metering apparatus is connected to a second opening ( 50 ), whereby a powder body transport system is constructed, the powder body within the metering container of the other metering apparatus can be transported to a predetermined place via a metering container ( 32 ), by finishing a discharge of the powder body within the metering container ( 32 ), thereafter keeping a switch valve ( 36 ) in a closed state, filling the powder body in the metering container of the other metering apparatus and thereafter generating a gas stream toward a first opening ( 49 ) from the second opening ( 50 ), thus the metering container ( 32 ) being utilized as a part of a transport pipe.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a powder body metering apparatus whichis preferable for metering a powder body such as a synthetic resin rawmaterial or the like.

BACKGROUND ART

The following structure has been conventionally known as this kind ofmetering apparatus.

A conventional metering apparatus has a metering container including aninlet in an upper end and a horizontal outlet in an upper side portion,a switch valve for opening and closing the inlet of the meteringcontainer, and an upward discharge pipe connected to the horizontaloutlet, and is structured such that the metering container has an uppertube, a lower tube fitted to and covered on the upper tube so as to befreely adjusted in a vertical position, and a porous body provided in alower end of the lower tube and not allowing a powder body having a setmagnitude to pass through but allowing a gas to pass through (refer toJapanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-148092).

The conventional metering apparatus mentioned above has the followingdisadvantage.

Since the porous body (which does not allow the powder body having theset magnitude to pass through but allows the gas to pass through) isprovided in the lower end of the lower tube, it is impossible to flowthe powder body into the metering container from an external portion ofthe porous body, so that there is a disadvantage that it is impossibleto use the metering container itself as a part of a transport pipe (inother words, it is impossible to feed the powder body within themetering container of another metering apparatus to a reservoir tank orthe like via the metering container).

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The present invention employs the following means for solving thedisadvantage mentioned above.

(1) In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a powder body metering apparatus having a metering containerincluding an inlet in an upper end, and a switch valve for opening andclosing the inlet of the metering container, wherein an internalcapacity of the metering container is variable, and has a first openingin a lower portion and a second opening in a desired portion.

(2) In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, thereis provided a powder body metering apparatus, wherein a powder bodydischarge port is formed in the lower portion of the metering container,and the powder body discharge port is freely opened and closed by aclosing member.

The present invention achieves the following effect on the basis of thestructures mentioned above.

(1) In accordance with the invention of the first aspect, the powderbody within the metering container can be discharged from the firstopening by generating the gas flow from the second opening toward thefirst opening, and the powder body within the metering container can bedischarged from the second opening by generating the gas flow from thefirst opening toward the second opening. Accordingly, since the meteringcontainer itself can be used as a part of the transport pipe for thepowder body, the metering container can be built in a currently widelyused powder body transport system so as to be effectively used as themetering apparatus doubling as the transport pipe.

(2) In accordance with the invention of the second aspect, since thepowder body can be discharged from the powder body discharge port byopening the powder body discharge port, it is possible to easily meterand confirm the weight or the like of the powder body metered by themetering container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of a main portion showing a firstembodiment in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of a main portion showing a secondembodiment in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of a main portion showing a thirdembodiment in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of a main portion showing a fourthembodiment in accordance with the present invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

A description will be given below of four embodiments in accordance withthe present invention.

In this case, the same members will be shown by the same referencenumerals in this description.

First Embodiment Refer to FIG. 1

A vertical guide tube 3 is connected to an outlet 2 of a reservoirhopper 1 reserving a powder body, and a metering apparatus 31 is mountedto a lower end of the guide tube 3.

The metering apparatus 31 has a metering container 32 including an inlet33 in an upper end, and a switch valve 36 opening and closing the inlet33 of the metering container 32 and connected to a lower end of theguide tube 3. The metering container 32 is variable in an internalcapacity on the basis of a structure described below in detail, and hasa first opening 49 in a lower portion and a second opening 50 in adesired portion, a lower portion in the present embodiment.

The metering container 32 has an upper tube or hollow cylinder 21 with avertical axis and with the inlet 33 provided in an upper end, and alower tube or hollow cylinder 22 slidably inserted about the upper tube21 so as to be freely adjusted in a vertical position by translation orlinear shifting relative to the upper tube 21.

The lower member 22 has a tube portion 22 a with a vertical axis, and ahollow closed-end circular truncated cone portion 22 b provided in alower portion of the tube portion 22 a and open in an upper portion. Twothrough holes 46 are formed in a side wall of the circular truncatedcone portion 22 b, upward short tubes 47 are connected to the throughholes 46, an upper end opening of one short tube 47 is formed as a firstopening 49, and an upper end opening of another short tube 47 is formedas a second opening 50.

A thread hole 23 with a horizontal axis is formed in an upper portion ofthe tube portion 22 a of the lower member 22, a screw 24 is engaged withthe thread hole 23, and the lower member 22 is fixed to the upper tube21 by pressing a leading end of the screw 24 to the upper tube 21. Onthe other hand, the lower member 22 can be moved vertically by looseningthe screw 24. In this case, the structure may be made such that annulargrooves are formed on an outer peripheral surface of the upper tube 21at a predetermined interval in a height direction, whereby the leadingend of the screw 24 is fitted to the annular groove, and the lowermember 22 is firmly fixed.

In the present embodiment, the powder body within the metering container32 is discharged from the first opening 49, and the other meteringapparatus, transport pipe, gas pump (not shown) and the like areconnected such that the gas or the powder body fed from the othermetering apparatus (not shown) enters from the second opening 50.

The switch valve 36 has a casing 40 in which an inlet 41 is provided inan upper portion and an outlet 42 lapping over the inlet 41 in a planview is provided in a lower portion, and a slide plate 44 horizontallyslidable in a direction vertical to the paper surface in FIG. 1 withrespect to the casing 40 and having a through hole 45.

[Operation of First Embodiment]

Next, a description will be given of a first operation of the firstembodiment.

First, an internal capacity of the metering container 32 is made to aset value by adjusting a height position of the lower member 22 withrespect to the upper tube 21. In this case, since it is possible toprevent a part of the powder body entering into the metering container32 from running over into the short tube 47, or it is possible toapproximately define an overflowing amount even if the powder body runsover, by designing a shape (an angle α in FIG. 1) of the circulartruncated cone portion 22 b with taking an angle of repose or the powderbody or the like into consideration, it is preferable to determine acapacity of the metering container 32 taking the condition intoconsideration.

Thereafter, when opening the check valve 36 after charging the powderbody to the reservoir hopper 1, the powder body flows into the meteringcontainer 32, and an inner side of the metering container 32 is filledwith the powder body.

Thereafter, the check valve 36 is closed.

Thereafter, by generating the gas stream toward the first opening 49from the second opening 50, the powder body within the meteringcontainer 32 is discharged from the first opening 49 and is fed to apredetermined place.

Thereafter, the check valve 36 is again opened.

The same operations are carried out sequentially.

Next, a description will be given of a second operation of the firstembodiment.

Since the powder body outlet of the metering container of the othermetering apparatus is connected to the second opening 50, whereby thepowder body transport system is constructed, the powder body within themetering container of the other metering apparatus can be transported tothe predetermined place via the illustrated metering container 32, byfinishing the discharge of the powder body within the metering container32, thereafter keeping the switch valve 36 in the closed state, fillingthe powder body in the metering container of the other meteringapparatus and thereafter generating the gas stream toward the firstopening 49 from the second opening 50. In short, the metering container32 can be utilized as a part of the transport pipe.

Second Embodiment Refer to FIG. 2

The lower member 22 has a tube portion 22 a with a vertical axis, and anupward opened closed-end slope tube portion 22 c which is connected to alower end of the tube portion 22 a and has an inclined axis.

A through hole 46 is formed in an upper side wall of the tube portion 22a, and an upward curved short tube 52 is connected to the through hole46. An upper end opening of the short tube 52 is formed as a secondopening 50. Further, a through hole 46 is formed in a side peripheralwall of the slope tube portion 22 c, an upward short tube 47 isconnected to the through hole 46, and an upper end opening of the shorttube 47 is formed as a first opening 49.

It is possible to prevent a part of the powder body entering into themetering container 32 from running over into the short tube 47, or it ispossible to approximately define an overflowing amount even if thepowder body runs over, by designing an angle of incline (an angle α inFIG. 2) of the slope tube portion 22 c with taking an angle of repose orthe like into consideration. Further, a part of the powder body enteringinto the metering container 32 runs over into the short tube 52,however, the overflowing amount is determined on the basis of the kindof the powder body. Under these circumstances, the metering container 32functions as a metering container.

In the present embodiment, the powder body within the metering container32 flows out from the first opening 49, and the other meteringapparatus, transport pipe, gas pump (not shown) and the like areconnected such that the gas or the powder body fed from the othermetering apparatus (not shown) enters from the second opening 50.

An operation of the second embodiment is the same as the operation ofthe first embodiment.

Third Embodiment Refer to FIG. 3

A powder body discharge port 54 is formed in a lower portion of thecircular truncated cone portion 22 b of the lower member 22, an outwardprotruding flange 55 is formed in an edge portion of the powder bodydischarge port 54, and a closing member 57 is provided in the flange soas to be freely swingable horizontally via a support shaft 56 with avertical axis. The closing member 57 can horizontally swing between aposition at which the powder body discharge port 54 is completelyclosed, and a position at which the powder body discharge port 54 iscompletely opened, thereby closing and opening the powder body dischargeport 54. In this case, the closing member 57 is structured such as to belocked to the circular truncated cone portion 22 b by a known lockapparatus (not shown) at the position at which the powder body dischargeport 54 is completely closed. In accordance with the structure mentionedabove, a weight or the like of the powder body metered by the meteringcontainer 32 can be easily measured and confirmed by opening the powderbody discharge port 54 so as to discharge the powder body within themetering container 32 from the powder body discharge port 54.

An operation of the third embodiment is the same as the operation of thefirst embodiment.

Fourth Embodiment Refer to FIG. 4

A powder body discharge port 54 is formed in a lower portion of theslope tube portion 22 c, an outward protruding flange 55 is formed in anedge portion of the powder body discharge port 54, and a closing member57 is provided in the flange 55 so as to be freely swingablehorizontally via a support shaft 56 with a vertical axis. The closingmember 57 can horizontally swing between a position at which the powderbody discharge port 54 is completely closed, and a position at which thepowder body discharge port 54 is completely opened, thereby closing andopening the powder body discharge port 54. In this case, the closingmember 57 is structured such as to be locked to the slope tube portion22 c by a known lock apparatus (not shown) at the position at which thepowder body discharge port 54 is completely closed. In accordance withthe structure mentioned above, a weight or the like of the powder bodymetered by the metering container 32 can be easily measured andconfirmed by opening the powder body discharge port 54 so as todischarge the powder body within the metering container 32 from thepowder body discharge port 54.

An operation of the fourth embodiment is the same as the operation ofthe first embodiment.

A description will be given below of modified embodiments.

(1) The powder body includes a fine particle, a granular body, a microthin piece, a short fiber piece, a sliver and the like.

(2) The metering apparatus 31 is optionally used.

(3) The metering apparatus may be optionally structured as far as theinternal capacity is variable.

(4) In the case of the powder body having a large bulk density in thesecond or fourth embodiment, the powder body can be smoothly dischargedby discharging the powder body from the first opening 49 in the lowerportion. On the other hand, in the case of the powder body having asmall bulk density, the powder body may be discharged from the secondopening 50. In this case, even in the case of the powder body having thelarge bulk density, the powder body can be discharged from the secondopening 50 by increasing a gas flow speed.

(5) The mechanism of freely opening and closing the closing member 57with respect to the powder body discharge port 54 is optionallystructured. In this case, in order to improve an airtightness betweenthe powder body discharge port 54 and the closing member 57, it ispreferable to mount an annular packing to the edge of the powder bodydischarge port 54.

(6) It goes without saying that the porous body (which does not allowthe powder body having the set magnitude to pass through but allows thegas to pass through) is provided in one of the first opening 49 and thesecond opening 50, whereby the opening provided with the porous body isset as the gas inflow port and another opening is set as the powder bodyoutlet, and accordingly the metering apparatus of the powder body can beused.

In each embodiment disclosed herein, the first opening 49 communicateswith the second opening 50 through the metering container 32.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The present invention is suitable for metering and supplying a powderbody of a synthetic resin raw material to an injection molding machine,in a molding system of a synthetic resin product.

1. A powder body metering apparatus comprises a metering containerincluding: a first hollow cylinder including an inlet in an upper endthereof; and a separate second hollow cylinder arranged so as to befreely adjustable in position with respect to the first hollow cylinder;and a switch valve for opening and closing the inlet of the meteringcontainer, wherein said first hollow cylinder and said second hollowcylinder are slidably inserted one inside the other, wherein an internalcapacity of said metering container is variable by translating orlinearly shifting the second hollow cylinder with respect to the firsthollow cylinder, wherein a first opening is provided in a lower portionof the metering container and a separate second opening is provided in adesired portion, and wherein said first opening and said second openingare each spaced from said inlet, said first opening communicating withsaid second opening through said metering container.
 2. A powder bodymetering apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a powder bodydischarge port is formed in the lower portion of the metering container,and the powder body discharge port is freely opened and closed by aclosing member.